Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...So for its novelty alone, Maggie-Kate Coleman and Anna K. Jacobs’s “Pop!” — a 90-minute musical tumble down the curious rabbit hole of artist Andy Warhol — is an intriguing and on occasion rousing evening, a bold and inventive attempt to give tuneful form to Warhol’s obsessive pursuit of the mundane."
MetroWeekly - Recommended
"...In D.C. proper, Studio Theatre is giving over its experimental 2nd Stage to a 90-minute musical about Andy Warhol's late-1960s demimonde. Darling is portrayed in Pop! as Warhol's right-hand trans. Billed as a ''musical murder-mystery extravaganza,'' Pop! takes as its jumping-off point the real-life, non-fatal shooting of Warhol. In this theatrical recreation, every ''superstar'' member of Warhol's infamous Factory is supposedly suspect of firing the gun -- though it's pretty obvious only one of them has the cajones to do the deed."
Washington City Paper - Recommended
"...Delorenzo’s transformation is one of this show’s most convincing effects. He—or she, perhaps—vamps through Pop!, at least until Candy receives one of those paper bags and becomes a suspect herself. Forced to be detectives are Ondine (Sean-Maurice Lynch) and Gerard Malanga (Luke Tudball), who would rather snort the evidence than study it."
Washingtonian - Recommended
"...But no matter how historically accurate it is, or how strong the songs are (and some numbers, like “Big Gun” and “99 Superstars” are both catchy and unbelievably inventive), the premise still lacks an ultimate ingredient: suspense. Even without biographical context, it’s clear that the outcast, scruffy, stained sweater-wearing Solanas is the ultimate villain, even as she barely stands out in a room full of obnoxious egos and shameless abusers. Jacobs and Coleman want us to dwell on the superficiality of it all: the empty paper bags, the identical paper dolls dressed up by Warhol, and the “million billion carbon copies turning death into decor.” But the constant creativity on display, from Warhol’s silkscreens to a dance sequence in which the cast combine a funeral with doo-wop, undermines that premise. Or maybe it doesn’t. This is a flashy, spectacular, thoughtful, detailed music about not very much, which makes it probably as accurate a portrayal of the artist himself as we’ll ever see onstage. It may all be a big artistic Ponzi scheme, but it sure can be fun to watch."
BrightestYoungThings - Highly Recommended
"...POP! is spectacular. If the tiniest bone in your body is envious of or nostalgic for the 60’s, Andy Warhol, pop art and culture, or just general fun, you must see this Studio Theatre masterpiece."
Washington Blade - Recommended
"...Stylishly staged by Studio 2ndStage’s artistic director Keith Alan Barker, the production is a strong collaboration of designers and performers. They’ve recreated a feel for the Factory in a musical theater setting — not easy. But don’t come to “Pop!” expecting to find doppelgangers for coltish Edie, aquiline Viva, and pouty, floppy-haired Melanga, you won’t. Instead you will find an energized, diverse cast of talented actors working looks of their own."
DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended
Warhol is alive at Studio Theatre in a glitzy, high-powered, wildly funny musical, with book and lyrics by Maggie Kate Coleman and music by Anna K. Jacob, lampooning a slice of his life. POP! is an explosive and exciting multi-media extravaganza that pushes the envelope and is a must-see.
